


Surprise Package

by dondena



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-27
Updated: 2015-02-26
Packaged: 2018-03-15 10:42:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 10
Words: 14,268
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3444176
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dondena/pseuds/dondena
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Mikey meets a special girl and she later moves. But one day, the family gets a special surprise from her that belongs to Mikey.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Mikey had been treated as an underdog lately by his whole family. He was just trying to bring some fun into their lives. Ever since they had at least turned 14 years old, Leo, Don, and Raph had just wanted to start acting like adults, rarely ever having fun anymore.

He had pulled a lot of pranks on his brothers this week. Now they were all blowing him off when he tried to talk to them.

Mikey went out to the rooftops on his own to clear his head. He was sure his bros didn't want to even see his face right now.

-

Back at the lair, Leo and Raph settled down for an evening of movies, while Don just toiled away in his lab on some project. They were glad that they were finally getting some peace and quiet.

-

Back on the rooftops, Mikey ran until he couldn't run anymore. He was disappointed in his bros for not paying attention to him. He hated that, being ignored. Most of the time, his thoughts weren't taken seriously anyway.

Soon he reached midtown. Mikey hadn't seen too much bad guy action tonight. It was good to have a break from that for one night on the town.

Mikey soon came to one of his favorite restaurants. He saw a young woman leaving it. She was real pretty. She took his breath away.

Long flowing blond hair, wearing a blue shirt, half shorts, had that look of a popular high school girl, like a cheerleader. She was still in school, but in her senior year. She was just leaving here after she had dined out. She didn't appear to have a boyfriend.

Her parents had been at a meeting tonight at a conference as they were doctor and technician at a hospital. So the girl had gone out to dinner.

Mikey decided to follow her home, but from up on the rooftops. To him, she was pretty enough that thugs would want to bring harm to her. Whenever he or his brothers saved girls/women, they always seemed to be the most beautiful ones.

She walked about 3 blocks to her home, which was an apartment complex. She lived on the 2nd floor, and this one was 6 stories high. It was a red building. It had a fire escape on it.

Just as she was coming down the alley that she had to go down to get to her building's door to get in, she spotted some punks down at the end. She thought if she hurried, she could get in before they got to her. Maybe they were just hanging out and not going to do anything either. Mikey saw them too. He eyed them warily.

As it turned out, they weren't simply hanging out. "Oh, what do we have here?" One asked. A black haired boy with a white bandana on his head. There were 6 of these boys. Punks, but not Purple Dragons, but had a good chance at becoming some.

The boys came up from the back and surrounded the girl. She looked at them with fear in her eyes. "Please let me pass and get home." She pleaded.

"Oh, I don't think so, Pretty. You have to pay a toll." A brown haired one said.

"I don't have any money on me." She said.

"Then there is another way." A blonde said.

The girl knew what he meant. Then they all heard a voice.

"Don't you punks ever learn to quick harassing young girls?" It was Mikey. He had snuck down the fire escape so quietly that they hadn't even noticed him.

They all turned around. "Get out of here, Freak! Let us deal with her!" The black haired leader shouted.

"Now I believe that you should let the lady go!" Mikey said as he now had out his whirling chucks.

"Get him!"

Mikey easily gave these punks a beating. Five of them were bruised from the hits, but the leader had had stayed with the girl. When Mikey approached him after his friends were running away, the leader was looking afraid too.

"What were you saying about dealing with her?" Mikey had a wide, evil grin on his face, and he was twirling his chucks.

"I'm out of here!" The leader shouted and ran up the same way his friends had went.

"Ha! Wimps." He laughed, then turned to the girl. "You okay, Miss?" He asked. He had calmed down and was trying to be polite the slow way.

The girl was stunned, but didn't move. She didn't scream. "You're one of those turtles that I have heard talked about on the news."

Now Mikey knew staying was a mistake. "Uh, yeah. Sorry. I'm going so I don't freak you out." He began to make his way back to the fire escape when she spoke out.

"No, wait. I'm not freaked out at all. You saved me before they could go any further. Please come back."

Mikey turned around. He smiled. He slowly came back to her.

"Hi, my name's Ophelia. You?" She held out her hand.

"Mikey." Mikey said as he took her hand.

"Won't you come in with me? I live just down here, but on the 2nd floor. I have snacks." Ophelia invited.

"Sure!" He was excited to make a new friend. He followed her to her building and up to her floor. No one passed by and saw them.

It was a nice pad for an apartment. She showed him around. She had her own room. She had a computer, her own TV, a makeup mirror desk. Things that most typical teen girls had. She had pictures of some boys and animals on her walls. It was a good sized bedroom.

"Where are your parents? You seem a little young to be on your own." Mikey asked.

"I'm not on my own. My parents are just working a lot, but I'm old enough to be by myself. My mom is a nurse technician, and my dad is a doctor. They had a meeting tonight, so I ate dinner out. They won't be back until very late. We can chill till then."

"What about a boyfriend?" Mikey asked. "Won't he be coming by?"

"I don't have one. I may look like the popular girl, but trust me when I say I'm not. I'm a very strong silent, shy type of girl. I'm also into different kind of things. I'm more into the exotic activities like with animals."

Mikey was intrigued. They both sat down in her room to watch her videos. Ophelia had also fixed up some snacks for Mikey. He ate everything. Same at home. They had such a good time together that the time just snuck up on them when her parents came home. "Ophelia! We're home!"

The girl snapped up on her bed. So did Mikey. "They can't see me here!" Mikey said.

"The fire escape! My window, Mikey." She said and the turtle got out real quick before her parents came in to see her and bid her goodnight. She did have school tomorrow after all.

Mikey was shaken by that, but was glad he had made a new friend. It was late now, and he knew he had training in the morning. He went home with a new feeling in his mind. He would try to come again tomorrow night.


	2. Chapter 2

When he got home, his brothers asked him where he had been because he had been gone for over 4 hours.

"I thought you guys wanted me out of here." Mikey retorted.

"Sure, we needed a break from ya, but ya didn't have to stay out that long." Raph said.

"We were getting ready to go look for you." Leo said.

"Well, you can call off your worries, Bros. I'm here. Now just leave me alone." Mikey said and went to his room.

That was so odd for Mikey to say that to his brothers. It left them both with strange looks on their faces. That wasn't like him.

\--

Over the next several weeks to come, and even two months, Mikey's behavior got even more strange. He was always sneaking out of the lair. Ophelia's parents worked the night shift, so Mikey would sneak over to her place at night after his and his bros' patrols.

He only went over about 3 times a week. Ophelia was always more than glad to see him. They had gotten to know each other real well. Mikey told her how his bros treated him.

Ophelia felt bad for him that they did. She found his sense of humor contagious. Being a shy, silent girl at school, she was often teased too much. She didn't have many friends. So she was more than grateful to have befriended Mikey that night.

With Mikey, it was nice to talk to someone around your own age, and it wasn't one of your brothers who always seemed to be or get mad at you just for playing a joke on you. Mikey didn't do that with her. He would tell her jokes and they always made her laugh. His family didn't think it was so funny. It was so nice to have her to talk to. He even gave her his shell cell number, and she had given him her number.

-

Splinter had begun to notice a change in Mikey's behavior. He wasn't talking to his bros much anymore. They were wondering as well.

Mikey seemed to be distracted during practice a lot now. Splinter or Leo often had to reprimand him. "Sorry. I'll do better next time," he would say. But he never did. What was going on?

Mikey was in love.

-

He would also take out his comics and show Ophelia. They would draw together. She admired his work.

One night, talking and drawing to each other finally lead to something different. They had known each other for over 4 months now.

\--

Three weeks later, Mikey came over one night, and Ophelia told him to leave immediately.

"Why? What's wrong?" He saw that she looked sad.

"My parents are home and don't want me leaving the house. We are going away, Mikey. I'm sorry. My dad got a new job in Nevada. We are moving. Tomorrow."

That upset the poor turtle. His closest friend was moving away! He hugged her real fast as she started crying as he left. She had also told him that her phone number would be changing.

-

Of course, Mikey was crying when he walked in the door as he got home himself. His family heard him. They didn't bother him right this second as they heard the door to his room slam shut behind him.

"I wonder what was wrong with Mikey." Don said.

"Who knows." Raph said.

Leo on the other hand, looked to his little bro's room. He went over and knocked. "Mikey, it's Leo. Can I come in?"

He heard from the other side. "Go away, Leo!" And he heard more sobbing. Maybe he should wait until he was not crying anymore. He went to talk to Splinter.

"Come in, Leonardo." Splinter said.

Leo came over and sat by Splinter. "I'm worried about Mikey, Master Splinter. He has been acting weird for the last 4 months. He sneaks off in the middle of the night, he hardly touches his food, and he's always distracted during training. Something's going on Master. Now he comes in crying. Something must have hurt him."

"Let him calm down before you try to talk to him Leonardo. He is too upset right now to talk. Give him time to come to you." The wise rat said.

Leo bowed his head and left his sensei to his mediation. He went to go find something else to do.

-

Mikey was over at Ophelia's apartment the next night. Her part of the complex was empty. No furniture anywhere. He even went inside it. It seemed so strange without any furniture or people in it. At least the two of them had said goodbye.


	3. Chapter 3

Following her moving away, Mikey just wasn't the same turtle anymore. His family tried to cheer him up, but nothing they did would make him happy as before.

Donny was usually the most considerate of his baby bro. Maybe getting him something would cheer him up. He himself wasn't into comics, but the following Saturday, Don went to Mikey's favorite comic shop and bought him a comic of Silver Sentry.

When he got home, he knocked on Mikey's door. "Mikey, it's Don. Can I come in?"

"Yeah." Don heard him say.

Don opened up Mikey's door. "Hey Bro. I know that you have been down quite a bit lately. I hoped this would help cheer you up." The genius said with a smile.

Mikey was on his bed. He took the book from his bro. "Thanks Donny." He brightened up for a moment. Don smiled. It was nice to see him happy again.

Mikey enjoyed Don's gift for a little while, but soon went to moping again.

Don talked to April if she knew of any way to cheer him up. "What about a new kitten? Ever since Klunk disappeared, he needs someone to hang with. Maybe that's why he was sneaking off all that time in those 4 months. He had a special friend. Well, its' time he has a new one." She said.

April and Don looked all through some newspapers and the Internet where there might be some kittens for sale. Soon, they did see an ad of a kitten for free. It was a male, orange with tabby markings. About 9 weeks old. He had lived with kids and dogs. Was also litter trained and had his shots. Sounded like the best kitten to get. April went to get him the next day.

Mikey's birthday was only a day away as it was. April kept the kitten in a special cage in her apartment until then. Then she brought it down on his birthday.

Raph had been told not to push Mikey's face into his own cake like he had last year. Raph giggled at that. It had been funny, but he knew how Mikey had been of late.

Mikey was real happy at his party. Cake, pizza, and ice cream. He liked everyone's presents, but the one he liked most was April's. "A kitten!" He cried out when he pulled it out of the box. It came meowing out at him. He was so cute!

The relief on Mikey's face at seeing his new fluffy friend brought a smile to everyone's face. It was good to see him happy again. He named him Klunk the 2nd.

Mikey definitely wasn't going to be so sad anymore.

\---

In Nevada, Ophelia wasn't any happier. She missed Mikey too, but now it had been a couple of months. The school year was nearing its end, but she still didn't have any friends either. She had hated the move out here. Nothing but desert. She couldn't have a pet either.

Her parents had talked to her about pets. They were too hard to take care of. "Well, having a kid was hard enough on you!" She would snap at them.

Lately, her own demeanor towards them was changing. She hadn't been herself for over a month now. She was sick a lot of the time. She took a lot of sick days. And she wondered why she was missing her time of the month.

Her teacher and principal asked for her to see a doctor.

Her own dad was a doctor. He hated to have to treat his daughter as his patient, but the school had a right to know what was going on. Or she couldn't graduate. And this was her senior year. It was now the middle of January.

Once the blood test results came back, Ophelia's dad was horrified. He had never known his daughter to be with a boy! She had never mentioned anything of it.

"Ophelia! Why are the results telling me that you are pregnant?!" He yelled at her.

"What?!" She shouted back at her dad. "I can't be!"

"Have you been with a boy? Yes or no?" He was really mad.

"I had a special friend in New York, but he wasn't your typical boy." She said. Mikey had been the only boy she had ever been with. And she did remember one special night with Mikey. It had just happened. They had said that they loved each other, and it just led to it out of love and caring for each other.

Her mom took her a few days later to see a woman doctor about getting an abortion before it got too big. "I don't want an abortion, Mom!" Ophelia complained.

"Honey, you are too young to be able to take care of a baby. Until you can afford your own money and take care of yourself, you are having an abortion, or you give it up for adoption." Her mom said.

"Mom, this baby is not the typical human baby. Because it would be a baby from my only friend in the world, I want his baby!" Ophelia was crying.

"Let's see what the doctor says first."

"Whatever! But I am not getting an abortion, Mom!" She yelled at her mom.

In the exam room, the doctor was a woman and she examined Ophelia, both ways. Internally and by ultrasound. Ophelia was nervous about seeing her baby. She knew who the father was.

"Here with this measurement, I would say this baby is about 11 weeks along, Ophelia." The midwife said. "But with it nearing its 12th week, it should look a mini human, but this looks different. It's not looking like a human at all!"

Ophelia's mom looked at her daughter. "Who is the father?"

"Like I said, he wasn't your typical boy. I said I only had one friend. Can you please keep this a secret, Doctor Wendy?"

"Sure."

"Well, New York, where we moved from, had some hero mutant turtles that saved the city. One of them saved me one night from some punks that would have otherwise done harm to me. After that, Mikey became my friend. He came over on nights when you guys were working."

"We mainly just laughed and told jokes, and drew comics and watched movies together. We were together for a short time, but we did end up telling each other that we loved each other, and we just got carried away. I had no idea this would happen."

"But as in how much I love and miss him, I don't want to give up on his baby! I want his baby!" Ophelia said sternly that she was not having an abortion. "He's in New York, and at least I can have a real part of Mikey here with me."

Her mom and the midwife were shocked. "Mom, even if you tell Dad, don't do anything rash. I can give the baby to Mikey's family if I must truly give it up. They could use a new family member."

"Oh, your father has a right to know, since he was the one that did your blood test and is your father." Her mom said.

"What about school?" She asked.

"You can continue going, but just don't tell the other kids who the father really was. Just say it was a boy back home, and you didn't know you were pregnant before moving out here." Her doctor said.

"Of course I didn't know before I moved out here." Ophelia said.

Ophelia's and Mikey's baby was due to be born in July. She was going to be bigger in the stomach when she graduated, but she just hoped that she wasn't going to be put in any different program. But as it was, she didn't have any friends anyway. So she didn't really care, as long as she graduated high school. How she longed to be with Mikey now.

Her mom and doctor didn't force her into an abortion. Ophelia had put her foot down about it. The baby would stay, but her parents were not going to let her keep her baby once it was born. She would have to go back to New York with the baby or before it was born so it could be given to the father when it came.

Her dad was still mad at her, but was way more than shocked when he found out who the father of the baby was. Mikey was going to be a father! Of course, he didn't know it yet.


	4. Chapter 4

The winter months quickly passed, and soon spring came again. The turtles began to venture out of the sewers more and more. They had spent most of the time up at Casey's grandmother's house this winter. Being in a house was far better than down in a sewer. Cold air easily filtered in from the outside down there through the drains.

\--

Ophelia had been going to the doctor once every month. Her midwife said that the baby was doing well and looked most like a turtle, more than a human. She had told her parents and midwife about everything she knew about Mikey. It was possible the baby would turn out to be a lot like the dad, so it was better that the real turtle family raised it, instead of her. Of course, the baby already had its dad's looks from being seen on the ultrasound.

Of course, if someone had ever found out about the young turtle, chances were that it would be taken in by some stupid scientists.

Other students at her new high school teased her, because she had been new and she was mostly known as the 'pregnant girl.' Ophelia had known that she had never wanted to be a teen mom, but it had just happened when she had met Mikey. She loved him, but at times felt so mad at him that he had done this to her. He hadn't meant to. They had only meant to make love that night, but hadn't really thought of any possible consequences.

Mikey had told her of April and Casey. He had given her April's address. She had no idea where Mikey lived, so she would get in touch with April first.

Ophelia was 7 and a half months pregnant when she did graduate with the other students. At least she was glad now that she was out of high school. If she had been any younger, she would have been forced to get a job, struggle with trying to raise the kid, maybe or just struggle with finding an adoptive family if it had been human. But yet, either way, she would have had to give it up.

She wasn't exactly a mothering type of girl. She had made sure to eat real healthy and exercise by walking and resting now that she was a lot heavier in the belly. But she knew she couldn't take care of this child. She loved it because she loved Mikey.

Ophelia had almost been forced to go into a program for pregnant teenage girls, but she said no. Her parents had talked to her principal about it, but the answer was no. Especially because this pregnancy program would have taken her away from her parents until the birth. She didn't want that.

They might have had doctors in this private boarding school for teen pregnancy that would have tried to take a look at the baby, and saw that it wasn't no ordinary baby. Her parents had seen to it that she would stay in regular classes, all but PE class.

Now she had the summer to look forward to. She had to eat, sleep, rest, and exercise a little bit to make sure the baby was going to be healthy. It was due in July. Two more months. At least it was nearing its end.

Ophelia decided that she would go back at the beginning of July to New York. She and her mom would go. The midwife was going too. No one could know about this baby. Her dad would stay and do his job so they could still have money coming in.

Not even outside relatives like her grandparents knew that she was having Mikey's baby.

\--

Back in New York during these months of warming weather now, more criminals were popping up again.

Mikey still missed Ophelia and hadn't forgotten her, but thanks to his new cat, he was literally a new Mikey, or more like the old one before he had even met her. He was back to pulling pranks on his brothers again, and just being a goofball.

Even though Mikey and Ophelia had exchanged phone numbers before, she had never called him to tell him her new phone number, so he hadn't been able to be in contact with her all this time.

Purple Dragons and the Foot ninjas were all at their troubles again and again. It never ended. Both types of crime lords were always trying to destroy the turtles when they weren't pulling crimes on the streets.

One night on a patrol, Mikey had been being silly again, and he had his bros on his case again. "Mikey, knock it off, or they'll hear you!" Raph said lowly.

Mikey was still laughing his head off about the joke. But then he quit as soon as some Foot soldiers jumped onto the roof. Don, Leo, and Raph all glared at their brother.

Mikey chuckled nervously. "Oops!" He pulled out his chucks just as his bros pulled out their weapons too.

A big battle ensued. Most of the army was attacking them. It went on for a long time.

Don, Leo, and Raph came out of the fight with a few scratches and bruises, but Mikey wasn't so lucky. He had been bashed on the head with a mace so bad, that he had a severe concussion and a long cut on his right leg.

When they all got home, Don did what he could for everyone. He and Leo had needed stitches, other than Mikey needing them in his leg. Leo had also been distracted during the battle, that he had not seen it coming. He had also been shot in his left side with an arrow.

Don had taken it out and made sure that there was no internal damage. The arrow had nearly pierced Leo's stomach organ, but luckily it hadn't. He needed stitches in his side and to take it easy for awhile. It did make the blue banded leader feel queasy with all the pain.

Leo was ordered to stay on the cot in the infirmary overnight, but he was more concerned about Mikey, who laid over on the table unconscious, and in a coma.

Mikey's head was wrapped in bandages, as was his right leg. He had lost blood. Don had given him a transfusion of some of Raphael's blood into him to help him out, but Mikey was still outcold.

Raph felt guilty that this had happened to him. And he knew right now that if he were awake and he made some silly joke, Raph knew he couldn't hit him on the head like he always did.

Leo felt the most responsible, since he felt it was his responsibility to take care of his brothers. But there was nothing they could do for Mikey, but wait for him to wake up.

Splinter didn't like the look of how this encounter had turned out. He had brushed his furry hand along Mikey's forehead, but nothing happened. He told everyone that they should just try to get some sleep, even Donatello. Don had done all he could. Don didn't want to go of course, but his father demanded it.

So they all went to bed.


	5. Chapter 5

Leonardo went to sleep and then he woke up a few hours later, to a straight beeping from the heart monitor on Mikey. The line was straight. 

Mikey was dead!

Leo slowly got up from the cot and called out to his family. "Don! Raph! Splinter! Mikey's in trouble!" He called out at the top of his lungs.

Don was the closest. "I knew I shouldn't have left him alone!" Don cried out as he got there first, and began to try to revive his baby brother. It was internal bleeding in the brain from a hit Mikey had taken from a hit from a mace that a Foot soldier had hit him with.

Raph and Splinter could only watch in horror. Leo watched sadly too. The heart shockers didn't do any good either, and it was hard enough for Don to try compressions on Mikey's chest, because of his plastron in the way. It made it harder to try to do chest compressions, though he did try as well as giving him breaths.

In the end, it was too much. Mikey was dead. Don checked him and it was all internal bleeding that had done it.

"I'm going to kill those Foot goons if it's the last thing I do!" Raph screamed.

"Not right now you won't, Raphael. You will stay here until you are healed. We will lay Michelangelo to rest, and then go after the Foot. We will avenge Michelangelo, that is a promise." Splinter said. "And we need Leonardo's help as well, and he needs time to heal as well."

Right now, Leo didn't care that much about himself. He wanted his youngest bro back. They all broke down in tears and cried.

Never again would they find Mikey in the kitchen making breakfast, reading his comics, playing video games, playing with his new cat, or playing pranks on them and hearing him laugh. Mikey was the light in their eyes. He was a peace maker other than Don. He had made their lives happy. Now that wouldn't happen anymore.

Raph still remembered when he had said a lifetime of payback back at the Battle Nexus. Now Mikey didn't have a life anymore, not in this physical world.

Don made a special resting box for Mikey's body. He and Raph put it in there. Leo looked on. Once the lid was closed, they all broke down again.

-

They waited until Leo was a little stronger before they went back up to the farmhouse. April and Casey, the Justice Force, Angel, and a whole lot of other allies showed up there for Mikey's funeral. Then he was laid in the ground behind the barn, but closer to the forest. There was a lot of crying.

\---

In the spirit world, Mikey watched with sadness in his eyes. He had hated to leave them. "It is your time, Michelangelo. You did your best on Earth. You were always doing the right thing, fighting for good, and what you believed in. You gave your life to save others too." An angel was telling him.

"But they will be lost without me." Mikey said sadly.

"They will always have you in their hearts, Michelangelo, but not all is lost. Very soon young one, your family will gain a part of you back."

"What do you mean?" Mikey asked.

"You never knew, did you?"

"Knew what?"

"Your dear friend, Ophelia. You gave her a part of you. She carries it now. She will give it to your family in a short time." The angel said. This was a male angel. Hamato Yoshi. 

"I don't understand." Mikey said.

"When you and her made love back three weeks before she and her parents moved, you impregnated her. You were going to be a father." He said.

Mikey's jaw dropped. "No way!"

Yoshi smiled.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"A girl."

Mikey would watch his family from heaven. He hoped they would accept his daughter. He knew their lives wouldn't be the same again, but his daughter would be the only thing they would have of him left, aside from memories, and his things.

\---

Nothing was ever the same again for the turtle family. Don tucked into his experiments. Both Leo and Raph turned real bitter and were always fighting it seemed. Splinter could only do so much too. When they weren't fighting, Raph was always out fighting on the streets, and Leo was always meditating and training. His injuries had healed well from the fight.

Raph did blame Leo the most for Mikey's death. "It was no one's fault." Don said. "From the hit he took on the head, it was all internal bleeding in his brain. There was nothing we could do."

As much as they had all wished that Mikey could have grown up a little, and calmed down a lot more, he had made them happy, even when he made them mad. They wished for more than anything to have him back. Having grown up together as brothers, they understood each other and had always, always been a team in a battle.

\---

July finally came, and Ophelia was more than ready to get this baby out of her. She, her mom, and her midwife, flew back to New York. It was harder on the girl to walk around a whole lot now, being nine months pregnant. She was wheeled around in a wheelchair to keep the pressure off her back and ankles.

Ophelia had felt that this month was never going to come. Now it had finally. Her baby was due any day now. They would rent an apartment until the baby came.

The midwife did an internal exam. The baby was nearly the size of a human baby. There were always risks, but she wanted to give it a try the natural way first. Ophelia still didn't know though that the father of her baby was dead.

If Ophelia needed an emergency c-section, her mom and midwife could handle it. Her mom didn't like the idea of having to operate on her own daughter, but this baby was completely a 100% secret from the real world.

"I wish Mikey had been there with me during this pregnancy." She said.

"He'll be there for it the rest of its life Ophelia." Her mom said. (Quite the contrary.)


	6. Chapter 6

After two weeks of being there, Ophelia finally went into labor. She had gone through the pregnancy with no problems whatsoever, even though her baby was not a normal human baby.

The natural way was tried first, but it seemed the shell was just too big to pass through the pelvis. The two adult women had to do a c-section right in the apartment. They had all the right tools and sterile stuff. Ophelia was given an injection to numb her body, and the baby was delivered safely.

After the midwife cleaned out its airway, the baby began to cry.

The baby was a girl, but these humans knew nothing about turtles. She had green skin that reflected Mikey's, his hands and feet, and his shell and plastron. A tail too. She was an exact image of her father.

The baby was cleaned up, while Ophelia's mom took care of her daughter's stitches. Once that was done, the baby was given to her mother, all wrapped up in a soft towel.

Ophelia had thought that she wasn't a mother type of girl, but when she saw Mikey in the face of her baby, she couldn't have loved her more. She kissed her, and did try to feed her.

Despite being a turtle, this baby did have a sucking reflex. As much as her mom didn't want to her do it because it would be a way for Ophelia to be bonding with the baby, they didn't have any formula. Ophelia had put a finger in her mouth first, and she had sucked on it. So she ended up nursing her for her first meal.

Ophelia had been instructed during her pregnancy about breastfeeding. Since this baby was part human and had the sucking reflex, it was critical for her to receive the colostrum in Ophelia's milk. It would provide some antibodies and such.

The midwife said to keep the baby a few days, at least until Ophelia's colostrum turned to real milk, then they would switch to formula. The mom was disappointed that they couldn't get rid of the baby turtle right away, but it did make sense, because her daughter also needed to get some strength back before taking the baby elsewhere. At least the baby had been born at a good time of year, when it was warm outside.

Ophelia's mom had wanted to get rid of the baby soon after it was born, so her daughter wouldn't want to bond with it. The longer they kept her, the harder it would be for Ophelia to want to part with her. Ophelia's mommy outlook had changed now. One first look at that innocent cute, little turtle was too much. She wanted to keep her.

"No Ophelia. We agreed that as soon as you are strong enough, we are to track down these turtles, and Mikey, and give them this baby. It is for the greater good, Honey. You cannot give this young turtle a life like the one we gave you. It is better that others like it, raise it."

"But can't I be in my own daughter's life? At least visit her?" Ophelia asked. She wanted so much to be a part of her little girl's life.

"We'll talk about it with your father. We are staying here in New York until you get the stitches out, then we are going home. Before you have them out though, you should be strong enough to walk around again ,and try to find that friend of the turtles. April O'Neil, is it?" Her mom inquired.

"Yes."

Her mom began to track down April's address. She found it under the 2nd Time Around Antique Store. She wasn't going to call though, just wanted the address so they could deliver the baby to her.

-

Seven days after the baby was born, it was time to get the baby to April's place. Ophelia was still very sore, but she had to do it for the baby's own good. The baby was put into a special little basket that held her very well, and wasn't too heavy to carry. She was covered up with a blanket over the top to hide the looks.

Ophelia had also successfully moved the baby away from breastfeeding and now onto formula. Ophelia wanted very much to name her daughter Machala, a name that somewhat resembled Mikey's, as well as her's. A combo of their names.

Ophelia sat in the back seat of the rented car as her mom drove her to April's store and house. Her mom dropped her off in front of the store and let her out. "Are you sure you have the patience to sit out here, Mom?" Ophelia asked.

"Yes. Give the woman all the stuff needed to take care of the baby. The father and others can take it from there, once you have left." Her mom said.

"I love Machala so much, Mom."

"I told you not to name the baby."

"She does need a name."

"How do you know it's a girl?"

"I looked it up." Ophelia said.

"Whatever. Just get her out of here then." Her mom said. It was obvious that her mom wanted nothing further to do with this baby turtle. Ophelia hated her attitude towards her 'granddaughter.'

Ophelia got out of the car, only as her body would let her. She went around to the other side, and got the basket out of the side. April was watching from inside her shop. What was going on outside her shop?

Her mom got out of the car and held the door open for her. She still knew how Ophelia's stomach was still sore and had stitches. But that was as far as she went for service with the baby. Ophelia walked up to April's counter top and placed the basket on it.

"Hi, is there something I can do for you, young Lady?" April asked.

"Yes, Ms. O'Neil. Can you get in touch with Mikey? One of the ninja turtle friends of yours." Ophelia said.

"How did you know, Mikey?"

"I am a friend of his that had moved last year because my dad got a job in Nevada. I have a present here for Mikey. All the stuff needed is in the basket."

"You mean you were a friend to Mikey then? Look Miss, Mikey's been dead for over 2 months now."

"What?" Ophelia said real loud. It awoke the baby. She began to cry.

April was shocked to hear that sound. She instantly removed the blanket over the top of the basket. There, inside, was a baby turtle.

"I called her Machala. She is mine and Mikey's daughter. She looks exactly like him." Ophelia's eyes were starting to tear up at the news of Mikey's death. "What happened to Mikey?"

"He died of internal bleeding in his brain, after a fight with the Foot two months ago." April said sadly. "He never told us that he had impregnated a girl."

"He never knew. I didn't even know when I moved. I found out when I was 11 weeks along. I had been sick for a long time, and missing my female time of the month. My dad is a doctor, and the illness I had was going on for too long. He finally ran some blood tests on me, and found the cause. Mikey was the only boy and friend I had ever had. We were good friends for only 4 months."

"We laughed and joked, drew comics, watched TV, and ate together on nights when my parents weren't home, so they never knew of him. I never told them about Mikey until they had to find out who the father was. They never told anybody about him. My midwife was the only other person to know, since I had to have prenatal care too. She is very healthy for a baby mutant turtle."

"She is only a week old, April. She is on that formula. Take care of her. My parents wouldn't let me keep her as much as I love her. I loved Mikey too. We never forced each other. We had told each other that we loved each other, and it just happened. Machala was the result of our short, but loving, relationship. I have to go now. Again, take care of her."

"Wait, what is your name?" April called after the girl, but she was already out the door and got into the car, and her mom pulled out.

\--

April came back and to the counter and looked down into the basket again at the little turtle. It looked a lot like Mikey alright. She was the image of him. April picked up the cooing baby in her arms and held her. She rocked her. "Machala, huh? That's a good name for you." The red head smiled down at her. Good thing there wasn't anyone else in the store right now.

With this new arrival, April instantly closed the shop, and took the basket upstairs to her apartment. Then she called the guys. It was the middle of the day right now. The guys would more than likely be sleeping since they were more active at night most of the time.

She got Don on the phone first. "Hi April. What's up?" He asked.

"Donny, you and the others should get over here right away. There is a little surprise waiting here for you, and you won't believe what it is." April said.

"What is it?" Don asked, concerned.

"It has something to do with Mikey."

"Mikey?"

"I'll explain more when you get over here, Don." She said and hung up.

Don had no idea what was wrong, but when it had something to do with Mikey, it had perked him up alright. He had been in his lab and not sleeping anyway. He went and got Leo and Raph up. "Guys. Leo, Raph, we need to get to April's right away!" Don shouted at them.

"What is it, Donny?" Leo asked.

"I don't know. She just called and said that there was a present for us over at her place that has something to do with Mikey!"

"Mikey?!" They both yelled.

"Mikey is dead, Don."

"I know Leo, but April said to come and see it."

Leo and Raph were trying to move on. They didn't want to stay stuck in the past. They had already sought out revenge on the Foot goons for killing their brother. Now wasn't the time to go stirring up more trouble.


	7. Chapter 7

It didn't take them long to get there in the Battle Shell. April was rocking Machala, when she heard a knock at the door. She hoped it was the trio of turtles. She laid the baby back in the basket. "Who is it?" She asked.

"Its us, April." Leo said.

April opened the door and there stood Don, Leo, and Raph. "So what did you want to see us about?" Don asked.

"Come on." She gestured them in.

Once they were inside, they noticed a basket on her couch. She sat down on it. "Here is something you need to see." She said as she took something green out of the basket. The trio's eyes all widened. Was that a baby… turtle?

"What is this, April?" Leo asked.

"A young girl dropped her off not too long ago. Here Don, take her." April said.

Don was reluctant, but he did as he was told. He took the baby turtle from April. He tucked her into the crook of his left arm, like the way April had her. Raph and Leo leaned over and took a good look. "Does she look familiar, guys?" April asked, with a smile on her face.

They all looked at her suspiciously, and looked down again at the baby. They noticed the skin coloring. It did look familiar alright. "She looks like Mikey." Don said.

April nodded. "This girl came by today, and said she is Mikey's daughter. She was a friend of Mikey's before she moved away. They were such good friends that it happened one night. She didn't know she was pregnant until she had already moved. Her name is Machala, and she is only a week old."

They couldn't believe this! Mikey had died over two months ago, and now out of the blue, this had shown up! Mikey had never told them that he had been with a girl. But now, they had their answer as to why Mikey had been so secretive all those months ago. He had had a girlfriend!

"But then, where did this girl go?" Raph asked.

"I don't know. She explained some things to me about her and then just left. She never even told me her name, but at least she did tell me what she named Mikey's daughter."

The boys didn't know what to make of this. They were still in mourning over their dead brother, but now, even though they were still in shock, they found out they had a part of him with them again. They reluctantly took her home.

Don took some blood from her, to her own dismay and cried. He had to do some tests to see if she was truly Mikey's offspring.

Splinter now held the little turtle in his arms. She did look a lot like Michelangelo. He also smelled her. Smelled like that of humans, but did smell some like his son.

The baby turtle had been overwhelmed by all the new faces, and had cried a bit, but soon calmed down when she was fed again.

Leo and Don had immediately taken over parenting roles. Raph was much more reluctant to get near her.

In the end, Don's test results were confirmed. Machala was Mikey's biological daughter alright!

Machala cried most of the night away. Leo and Don took turns feeding, changing, and rocking her back to sleep. Splinter also helped. He gave what advice that he could. Raph wasn't helping one bit. He just ignored the new baby.

Leo and Don had never thought they were going to be experiencing fatherhood so young. Of course, they were really the uncles, but would have to be fathers now, since the real dad had died.

Though Don helped a lot, Leo had been the one of the 3 remaining of Mikey's bros to take an instant liking to the baby girl. He was starting to play the father role very seriously. He almost always had her in his arms.

\--

Machala got to know them all that they were her new family over the next several weeks. All but Raph. Raph wouldn't go near her. He wanted nothing to do with her. "Raph, you need to take care of her too." Leo said.

"I don't have to do anything, Leo. I want nothing to do with her." Raph said. "She reminds me too much of Mikey."

"She reminds me of him too by looks, and she isn't him. But she is a part of him." Leo said. "It's like he gave a special part of himself back to us."

Leo was right. Mikey had not known until he reached heaven that he was going to be a father, but he had given a part of himself back to his brothers and father and friends.

Machala might have been the spitting image of Mikey, but in truth, as her uncles and adoptive grandfather found out, she was almost nothing like him in personality, at least not yet.

\---

Mikey was disappointed in Raph for not helping take care of his daughter. He couldn't do it, so someone besides Leo and Don needed to help too. He came to Raph one night in a dream.

"Raph, why haven't you been helping with my daughter?"

"Mikey? Is that you?" Raph asked.

"Yes, Bro. Machala needs you as much as she needs Leo and Donny. She needs all of you."

"It's just that she does remind me of lot of you. I'm just afraid I might hurt her or something. I don't know how to handle babies all that well." Raph said.

"Raph, you know I can't take care of her. As a favor to me, and to make me proud, it would help if you tried to help take care of her." Mikey said.

Raph understood. "I'll try Mikey, but I don't know how good I'll be."

"Just do it for me, Raph. I know my time came sooner than I thought possible, but this is the best you can do for me right now by taking care of my daughter. That would help to honor my memory. A part of me still exists through her." Mikey said.

\---

And the dream ended. Raph awoke and he heard the baby crying. He got out of his hammock and went downstairs to Mikey's room. That was where she was kept. She needed to learn to accept being alone at times. He peered into the cradle. "What do you want, Scout?" Raph asked.

Machala hushed as she saw the uncle she didn't see much. She knew that he lived there, but didn't know him that well like she did 'Daddy Leo, and Uncle Donny.' Leo had appointed himself her father. Someone had to be. Splinter couldn't be. He was too old now. He was now 'Grandpa Splinter.'

Raph had seen how the others held her. He picked her up for the first time, since she had come to live with them. He held her with a gentleness he didn't know he had. He had remembered his dream of Mikey telling him to step in and help take care of her. She only had so little family to take care of her.

He knew that she had been fed earlier before bed. There didn't seem to be a diaper change needed. So Raph just sat down in the rocking chair and held her. Machala just looked up at him with wide eyes, to see what he would do with her.

Leo had come downstairs when he had heard her crying through the baby monitor, but when he came into the doorway, someone else had beat him to it. He was seeing Raph holding her and sitting in the rocking chair. He had never done this before, but he was actually 'humming' to her.

Machala was about 3 months old now, and it had taken this long for Mikey to send him that dream to make him step in as a caretaker too.

Leo was impressed. He went to Don's room and got him up, saying that he needed to see something in the baby's room. Don was impressed and shocked as well. They both smiled. Raph was stepping into the parenting role, finally.

Raph looked up at his bros' giggles. "What? She was crying." He said.

"Yeah, we heard her." Leo said.

"Seems you are ready to start learning how to take care of her now." Don said.

"I know I wasn't doing my part before, guys. I'm sorry. Mikey came to me in a dream. He also told me to. I told him I was just afraid of her. Afraid because I missed him, and she reminded me too much of him. He also said that since he can't take care of her, someone else had to step in. So I finally felt ready to give it a shot to help to honor Mikey's memory."

"Don't forget Raph, that we will eventually have tell Machala who her real father was." Don said.

"I know."

"We might be her uncles, but none of us will ever be her real father." Leo said.

"I thought that you had taken over that role though, Leo?"

"I have mainly. But yeah, we will tell her when she is old enough to understand, about who her real dad was. Our baby brother." Leo said.

The boys were still mystified about Machala's mother though. They had been told about a human girl dropping her off at April's shop. So she was also part human too. They wouldn't know how to explain about her mother to her. That her mother had just abandoned her at April's shop when she was just a week old was all they knew.

\---

Ophelia missed Machala dearly, and would give anything to see her again. One day, she would return, and see her again. She sure hoped that Mikey's bros were taking good care of her. She was sure they were.


	8. Chapter 8

Five years had now passed.

Machala had grown into a cute little turtle. Her personality shown through much more now. She knew all 3 of her uncles and human friends. Her grandfather, Splinter, had died of sickness when she was 3, so she didn't remember him. She just remembered him through stories that Leo, Don, Raph, April, and Casey told her about him.

She was just starting to learn the ninja arts from Leo. To her, he was her daddy. Now he was her ninja teacher. Leo was a good dad. Very strict at times, but gentle with her. She had never been hit. Even Uncle Raph was gentle.

Machala might have been Mikey's daughter, but aside from his looks, just in a feminine way, she was almost nothing like him. Even for such a young child, she was a serious one. She would have fun if her dad or uncles played with her, but she wouldn't try jokes or anything. She was kind of a loner. Kind of like how her mother was. She had more of Ophelia's personality traits than Mikey's. Her mask color was yellow, being such a mellow little girl. 

Raising Mikey's daughter had really brought out the parental side of all three remaining adult turtles now. Don still had his projects to work on, but he taught her what she would need to know in math, science, technology, and such. Of course, things that were only appropriate for kids at age 5 to learn.

Raph was much calmer around her. He didn't lose it so much. Having Machala around had given them all more meaning to keep living on, even after Splinter had died. But Raph still did like to go out and bust up bad guys.

All three brothers had taken Splinter's death hard, but Leo took it the hardest. He hadn't wanted to lose another family member, but Splinter had been sick. But he didn't let it control him this time. He had to be strong for his adopted daughter and remaining 2 brothers. 

All 3 brothers took turns babysitting. They knew that Machala wasn't going to be much trouble. She might have been a child, but she sure didn't act like one a lot of the time. She was very mature for her age.

Machala was more used to the male view of the world, considering she was being raised by 3 uncles. One who she thought of as her dad though. Soon, she would need to know the truth. She was getting old enough to understand now.

She didn't have much of a female role model aside from April. Angel, she rarely ever saw. April and Casey were now married, and April was now expecting her first child. At least now, Machala would get a playmate. She did wish though that she had a mother. She did want a mommy role model in her life too.

Little did she know that her real mom was going to come back into her life soon.

\---

Ophelia had waited five years to come back to New York. She now had a successful career as a fashion designer. Mikey had helped her get into that line of interest. She also drew comic books, so she had two sources of income. The comics were about super heroes. She had started where Mikey had left off. It had always been his dream to draw comics and get them published, but he had never started.

Well, he had drawn pictures for comics, but could never get them published. 

And there was the one other thing drawing her back to New York: her and Mikey's daughter. Ophelia wondered how she was. She hoped that Mikey's bros had taken her in and raised her. Otherwise, April and Casey might have had to raise her. Who else would have at the time?

-

Ophelia looked up the couple's address when she came back. It was now under Jones. She had used the internet.

April was on maternity leave right now. She was in her 8th month. Standing was just too hard for her. Don also helped to bring some income for her too. He helped to fix things for other people. The mechanic was under Donny's name, but April was kind of like his secretary. Right now, Casey had to take down the stuff to the Turtles' lair for Don to have access to it. Of course, it was also to have income for himself and his family too.

April was resting on her couch on a Wednesday afternoon. It was June right now. So her baby was due in July. Her baby's birthday was supposed to be in the same month as Machala's.

Suddenly there was a knock on her door. "Who could that be?" April asked herself and slowly got up. She went to answer it. "Who is it?"

"Um, Mrs. Jones, I was a friend of Mikey's from a few years ago. I left the baby turtle here. I need to talk to you." What the voice said.

April was always asking who was on the other side now, especially with her condition. She opened the door.

There was a young woman, kind of tall, slim, and had long flowing blonde hair. It went down to her chest.

"Hi, I am that baby's mother. Can I come in?" Ophelia asked. She was nervous.

"Sure." April said. Ophelia stepped inside, and they both went and sat on the couch.

"What kind of a mother would abandon her baby like that?" April asked.

"I didn't want to, but my stupid parents wanted me to have nothing to do with the turtles. Not even Mikey. That's why I had never told them about him, or the others until they found out I was pregnant. I was still a teenager, and didn't have much of a life. I had just graduated and didn't know what to do with my life. Just a week before I gave her to you, I had had a c-section to deliver her. She was too big to push out."

"Now that I have more of a life now on my own, I made enough money to sustain myself and my daughter. I want to be in her life again."

"How can you ask that after 5 years? I didn't even catch your name."

"I'm sorry. Lousy at introductions. Ophelia is my first name. So will you contact the turtles? I don't have any intention of taking her away from them. She is still better off with them, but I just want to be in my baby's life again." Ophelia said. "And I also see that you are about to have a little one."

"Yes. Eight months now. I'll see what I can do, Ophelia." April said. She got out her shell cell.

\--

Leo was in the middle of teaching Machala some new techniques when his phone went off. "Five minute break, Machala." Leo said.

"Very well, Daddy." The turtle girl said, and sat down to relax.

Leo picked up. "Hi April."

"Leo, there is a woman here at my house saying that she is Machala's mother. She wants to see her, in awhile, if that's okay?"

Leo was stunned. "I'll have to think about it, and talk with the others, April. Tell her that she'll need to wait. We also need to tell Machala. We have told her nothing about her mom, since we didn't know anything about her in the first place. What makes you think we can trust her?"

"I remember what she looked like the day she dropped her off, and this woman looks like her. I believe her. She wants to see her daughter again. It wasn't her fault that she was still living with her parents, and they were forcing her to give the baby up. Well?" April asked.

"Like I said. I need to think about it and talk to Donny and Raph. We'll get back to you." Leo said and hung up.

\--

April hung up. "Leo said he'd think about it. He also needs to talk it over with Donny and Raph too. He'll get back to us."

"It's a start." Ophelia said. "I really want to see her. What have they named her?"

"They kept the name you gave me. Machala."

"That's good. She has always been that to me too. Even if the turtles had named her something else, she would have always been my Machala in my heart."

"It may take them awhile to decide. Do you have some place to stay?" April asked.

"Yes. I'm currently staying in a hotel. I have money, so no need to worry about that." Ophelia said. "Here is my cell number. Call me when they have decided, and I shall come back." She got up and walked out the door.

April looked down at Ophelia's business card. It had her full name and cell number on it.

\--

Leo was now distracted from training his adopted daughter. "Daddy, it's time to start again." Machala said.

"I'm sorry, Honey. Auntie April called and told me something very important. Training is over until tomorrow. Go and play now. I may want to talk to you later."

"What did I do?" Machala asked.

"Nothing, but it would be something important about this phone call Daddy just got. I have to talk to Uncle Don and Raph first, Machala. Go on." Leo urged.

Machala liked training. You'd think she was Leo's real daughter and not an adopted one. She was so much like him when it came to training. She was the exact opposite of her dad, Michelangelo. But she did also share his love of pizza and comic books, besides his looks.

She went to her room, formerly Mikey's room, to read her new book. She had been given some comics to look at, and see what she thought of them since they were her dad's, and the trio were sure she would want to have them.

Leo called Don and Raph into the dojo for a family adult meeting. "Guys, we have a problem."

"What about Leo?" Don asked.

"April called not too long ago and told me that a woman was there, claiming to be Machala's mom. I don't know about letting Machala meet her. She doesn't know anyone but us, and April and Casey mainly."

"She may try to take her away from us! I won't let that happen! We already lost Mikey! And Splinter! I ain't losin' my niece too!" Raph snarled.

"And Machala is our last link to Mikey's line." Don said. "It's crazy."

"Yes, but Machala does need a mother in her life. One day, more than likely, she'll want to do more girl things, and there might end up being things that only a woman can explain to her. We'll talk to her about it and let her decide." Leo said. "I just wanted to make sure you knew."

"Thanks, but you're the one she considers to be her dad. It's mainly up to you Leo." Don said. "But we will be happy to come and help supervise."

"Well, I'd much rather talk to Machala first. She needs to know. She is old enough to understand things better now." Leo said. He left the dojo and went to Machala's room. Her door was open. He knocked.

"Daddy needs to talk to you, Machala." Leo said.

"Yes, Daddy?" The little turtle girl asked.

Leo came into her room and sat down on her bed. "Come sit beside me." He gestured. She did. He put his left arm around her. Leo looked down at the floor.

"Look Machala, I have something to tell you. For the past 5 years you have been like my own daughter."

"What do you mean? I am your daughter, Daddy." Machala said.

Leo smiled, but it fell again. "You are old enough to understand now. You are my 'adopted' daughter, Machala. I am not your real daddy. What I mean is, one of us had to become a parent to you, since your real daddy couldn't take care of you." Leo explained.

Machala was shocked to hear this.

Leo continued. "Nothing has changed Honey, but you need to know this. It's important for when you go to meet your real mother. A mommy for you, Machala." Leo said. "You do need a mommy in your life. Your mommy has returned, and has requested to meet you. Don't worry. All 3 of us will be right there with you."

Don and Raph had now appeared in the doorway to her room.

"If you are not my real daddy, then that means you are-" Machala began.

"I am in reality your Uncle Leonardo." Leo said. "Or Uncle Leo."

"Your real daddy's name was Michelangelo, or Mikey, as he was to us." Don spoke up. "He was our baby brother. We were waiting for you to be old enough to understand before we told you this. Grandpa Splinter would have helped us tell you, but you were too young to remember him when he died."

"Are you sure I'm not yours?" Machala asked Leo. Leo nodded.

"Uncle Donny did some tests after we had first taken you in, and the tests were right. You were the daughter of our youngest brother. You were also found out to be part human too. So this woman who wants to meet you must be your real mommy." Leo said. "Your real daddy's name was Mikey. Remember that if she asks you if you know your real daddy's name."

"Do I have anything from my daddy that you can prove to me I am not yours?" Machala was getting upset.

"Yes. You have Mikey's eyes and skin color. You can look at your skin and see it doesn't match any of ours." Leo said.

"You also inherited your father's love of pizza and comic books." Raph added.

"Though when you were a baby, we wondered if you were going to turn out like Mikey. You never did turn out to be like him. Your mommy must be a more serious person. Your real daddy was a goofball a lot of the time." Don explained.

Machala knew that she was nothing like a goofball. She knew what they meant. "Where is my real daddy?"

"He died before you were born, Sweetheart." Leo said. "We got in a fight with some bad guys called Foot ninjas. They hurt him real bad, and he didn't make it through the night."

Machala understood this talk. "And what of Mommy? Why did she leave?"

"That's what we are going to find out, Scout." Raph said. That was her Uncle Raph's nickname for her. Only he called her that.

"But do you want to meet her?" Leo asked.

"I'm a little scared Daddy, but yes. I want to meet Mommy." Machala said. For the time being, she still didn't want to refer to her daddy as Uncle Leo. So it was settled. They would go that evening to Aunt April's and Uncle Casey's to meet her mom for the first time.

Leo called April back, and in return called Ophelia.

Ophelia was pleased.


	9. Chapter 9

That evening after dinner, Leo, Raph, and Don headed to their human friends' house with Machala in tow. She held Leo's hand all the way. She was so nervous about meeting her mommy.

When they got there, the four turtles saw a new woman sitting on the couch, trying to present herself. She wore a skirt that was sky blue, with a white shirt. She had nice, long blonde hair. She looked real pretty in the boys' eyes. But who was she?

"Hello." Ophelia greeted. "I am Ophelia. I was Mikey's friend those few years ago. I heard about your brother when I dropped her off here at April's shop. I'm sorry about Mikey." She said.

"Thanks. I'm Leonardo. This is Donatello and Raphael. And this is Machala." Leo introduced his family.

Ophelia glanced down from Leo's face, to the little turtle hiding behind his left leg. "Machala, it's Mommy. I know you don't remember me, but I do want to say hi. Come out, little one." Ophelia said in a soft tone of voice.

Leo looked down, and he had to pull her out from behind him. "Go on now, Machala. She is a nice lady. Go say hi to Mommy."

Don and Raph were also watching Machala's reaction to the stranger. Raph was still wary about her.

Machala reluctantly let go of Leo's hand. He urged her forward. She went over to the woman.

Ophelia didn't rush her. She got a good look at her daughter. She looked too much like Mikey, and had his blue eyes too. "Mommy?" The little girl spoke.

"Yes?" She said.

Machala was starting to have a feeling overtake her. She did feel a connection to this woman. She stuck out her hand, so she could shake hands. Ophelia smiled, and she took her little hand. "Nice to meet you." Machala said. Leo had taught her well.

Two of the three older ones smiled. She was starting well for meeting her first new person outside of family. Raph was still weary of her. It took him awhile to fully trust new people. He just didn't want his niece hurt. Plus, back when she was a baby herself, it had taken him 3 months before he finally held her.

"I see that you three have raised mine and Mikey's daughter well." Ophelia said.

"Well, you can mostly thank Leo for that." Don said.

Ophelia locked eyes with Leo. "She must see you as her father?"

"Yes. Even though Don and I took care of her as soon as we got her home, it took Raph a little longer to get used to her. Splinter helped out a lot too, but I was the one, yes, that did kind of adopt her as my own. I took most of the heavy duty responsibility for her. So yeah, Machala did come to call me Daddy when she learned to talk." Leo said.

"Was it you that gave her the name Machala?" Don asked. "Or April?"

"I named her that. I might have thought that you boys were going to rename her, but I see that you kept the name that I told April what I called her. My mom didn't want me to name her. She wanted you to name her. But I had to call her something. I didn't want to just call her Turtle or Baby. She deserved better. But then, I thought of the name Machala. It sounded like a mix of both mine and Mikey's names. So Machala she became to me." Ophelia explained.

"Why did you abandon her in the first place?" Raph blurted out.

"It wasn't my fault Raphael! It was my stupid parents' fault! They wanted me to have nothing to do with her. Just because I had no real friends aside from Mikey, when they found out I was pregnant, they did want me to have an abortion, but I put my foot down on no, I wasn't going to do that. If she had been a human baby, from my parents versions, they either wanted me to have the abortion, or adoption. So I choose adoption, and it was for you guys to take her in, since she was Mikey's."

The boys were shocked that Ophelia had almost been forced into an abortion. "Machala may not be Mikey, but she is the last link we have to Mikey's bloodline!" Raph shouted.

"I know that! I loved Mikey too. We might not have known each other longer than 4 months, but we were great friends." She said. "If I hadn't had to move to Nevada with my parents, Mikey would have found out sooner he was going to be a dad. I had planned on telling him when I came back, but I found out the sad news from April."

"Why did you have to move to Nevada?" Don asked.

"My dad got a new job there. I was nearing my 18th birthday that year, and it was my last year of high school, but no, my parents couldn't wait to start the new job. So we moved. He came over one night, and I told him he had to leave right away. He left feeling so upset, because we were moving away. I hated to say that to him. At that rate, if I had known I was pregnant, I would have wanted to move in with him."

"My new school was awful. I was a loner again, as I had been all my life. I was made fun of until the day of graduation. I actually graduated with that senior class out in Nevada. I hated my classmates. They were always calling me the 'pregnant girl.' Because I had also found out what the baby looked like, my parents even did put their foot down about not sending me away to some private boarding school for pregnant teen moms. They probably would have had a doctor there that would have wanted to take a look at the baby, and they would have seen that mine wasn't the usual baby." Ophelia said. "I would have had an abortion against my will."

Raph's mood lightened up on Ophelia as he was hearing her story. Now he understood. She was a teen mom. Mikey had done that to her, but without knowing about it. But she had nearly become an adult. Why couldn't she still try to take care of her then?

"Why didn't you come back when you were 18?" Don asked.

"First this, Donny. My parents thought that I had no life. Just because I was a loner, they knew I wasn't right to be a parent then. But I did fall in love with her the moment I saw her, because I did love Mikey. I took care of her for the first week of her life. I just couldn't come back sooner, because I was recovering from surgery. I'd had a c-section. My mom and my midwife delivered her. Both my parents were in the hospital industry as jobs."

"Do you work in that field?" Leo asked.

"No Leo. After what my parents did to me, I vowed I would never work in their field. I barely had a life at all. My dad was too overprotective of me. That's why I had no friends growing up. Mikey had been the only friend I ever had. I hated it when we had to move."

"Mikey and me joked, laughed, watched videos, and drew comics together. But one night," She glanced down at the little turtle by her lap. "We uh, how you say, got into it. It just got deeper. We had no idea that we had made her." Ophelia said.

"So what do you do then?" Don asked.

"I am a fashion designer for clothes of course, and another job of mine is what Mikey inspired me to do, I also write up comic books."

"Mikey would have wanted to do that." Raph said.

"I know. That's why I started it up for him." She said. "Both jobs pay well enough to live."

Ophelia explained more about herself before she wanted the boys to talk a bit about themselves and Machala. How had she grown up over these past 5 years?

Ophelia had known how Mikey was as a person. Goofy, sweet, a real softy, like that. Machala was nothing like her dad in personality. The guys did tell her about her love of animals, ninja training, and a love of pizza and comic books to read.

She recognized the love of comics and animals. That was a lot like her. The pizza love was her dad alright. The ninja training, not so much. Must have been how Leo was raising her. But Mikey had also had a love of animals and comics too. 

In the end, even as Raph was still nervous of her, Ophelia ended up going home with the boys and Machala. Machala was more than glad to have met and learnt about her mother. At least now she did have one of her parents back.

Now that she was out on her own, Ophelia could live wherever she wanted. Her parents still lived out in Nevada. To the turtles, it was a relief that no one had found out who the father was, as Bishop did live out there in the desert too. He was dangerous.

In the five years they had had her, Machala had never been discovered or seen by Bishop, the Foot, or the Purple Dragons.

\---

Some while later, as relationships grew down in the lair, as much as Ophelia missed Mikey, as much as his brothers, she did however begin to fall in love with Leo. The way he moved, the way he talked, the way he was so good with her daughter.

Leo was shy at first, but did soon cooperate. Soon, Leo and Ophelia were a couple. Don was happy for him, as now Machala had both the parents she was able to know in her life. Raph was slightly jealous.

April had had a baby girl too. Tabitha was her name. Casey found it hard to be a new dad. Now Raph didn't have someone to run with as much as before, but now, it was igniting something in Raph to want to find his own girlfriend.

Don too. But Don was already practically married to his work.

Raph ended up rescuing a girl on the streets one night. Her name was Irena. She was a bit of a hothead herself, but had a calmer side. She and Raph were perfect for each other.

Donny soon thought of himself as alone. As he saw both his brothers kissing and cuddling with their lovers, it made him sad because he was lonely. Machala was happy for both her parents. Don knew for this feeling to go away, he needed to find a girl of his own too.

Eventually, another girl on the streets was rescued by Don.


	10. Chapter 10

Now we jump ahead 5 more years, a basic description, then jump ahead 5 more years. We get to so Machala as a young turtle woman, but at only 15. Still teen, but young woman enough. 

\-----

By the time Machala was 10 years old, Leo and Ophelia were considered married. Even Raph and Irena were too. It had taken Don longer, but had found one. She was a science geek and computer nerd like him.

If Mikey and Ophelia were able to do it, so could the other 3 and their women. Machala had 2 siblings now. One sister and one brother. Jake and Ruby.

Raph and Irena had a son, Carl. Carl was the perfect name for a hothead boy.

Don and his girl, Rochelle, were working up to it. They were taking their time. They were the techno savvy ones, so kids were not the highest thing on their priority list right away.

Machala was far more improved in the ninja arts, as Leo as her teacher and father. She still thought of him as her dad, but knew otherwise. Mikey was her true dad. By now, she knew what he looked like from pictures, and knew many tales about him. She did wish that she could have met him. 

\---

At age 15, Machala was the oldest of all the young turtle/human crosses. They had all learned the ways of the ninja. Tonight was a training session outside the sewers, and to stay in the shadows no matter what. She had a lot of cousins now. Donny's were the youngest. He and Rochelle had produced twins, two girls, 6 years ago.

Machala now had 4 siblings. Jake and Ruby, and now Wendy and Bradford.

Raph and Irena had added more too. Three more. Two more boys and a girl. David and Gabriel. Erica was the only girl.

Donny and Rochelle's twins were named Annabelle and Jennifer. Now she was having another one; Tamara for a girl or Zack for a boy.

The human girls always wanted kind of more human names for their kids. April only had two kids, Tabitha first, then Terry, born 4 years later. Casey and April had mastered parenthood too.

-

Now all four turtles were fathers, though Mikey wasn't alive to help them out, but he was watching from heaven very proudly. He was proud of his daughter. Splinter was there with him too, so he wasn't alone. They were both proud of how Leo, Don, and Raph, had raised Mikey's child so well. He felt a little sad that the mother of his child had ended up with Leo, but it couldn't be helped. He had needed someone, and Machala had needed a mother.

-

Ophelia and Machala got along real well most of the time these days, but Machala was growing up after all, and she and her mom could easily upset each other. She was into more adult or teen girl things, like make up and boys. It just wasn't possible for her though, being a turtle and all. Ophelia also explained many things to Machala about girl or woman things that the guys couldn't explain to her about.

Her uncles had shown her pictures of her dad from over the years. Machala did agree with them that she did officially look like him, but with more feminine qualities. Maybe one day, she would score herself a guy. She mostly preferred turtle though over human. She knew how bad they were and could be.

It had been amazing at how they had treated Mikey in life and when he died, Don, Leo, and Raph thought that they would never see happiness again, but then, only two months later, Mikey's daughter had been brought into their lives for a reason. She had given them all a sense of purpose again.

Once she got older out of baby stages, Machala was never a problem child. She got that from her own mother. Her uncles had never hit her. Not even Raph. Like he used to hit Mikey on the head roughly when he used to joke, or said something that seemed to be making no sense or stupid.

At 15, Machala had come just about full circle with her life as a child, Ophelia and Mikey's daughter, and Mikey's bloodline.

She still had her father's cat too. He was real old now. But Klunk the 2nd was still a great cat. He was mostly Machala's cat as he had been a birthday present to her father all those years ago, before she had even been born, but she had been on her way. Klunk was nearly 16 now. Old cat.

With the whole turtle family thriving now, there couldn't have been a happier ending.


End file.
